new year

Thursday, April 29, 2010

When I saw these colorful, ornamental fishes swimming around smoothly, calmly and peacefully, my restless mind started flashing the following thoughts:Why I can’t live peacefully, calmly and unruffled by changing circumstances? Why do I want to fight change? Why can’t I adapt my thinking, life style and behaviour to changed situations and go forward instead of living in the past with remorse and regret?Why do I want to be aggressive, bulldoze, browbeat others into submission?Why I can't mind my own business?Why do I feel jealous of other people’s achievements?Why I can’t use the God given talents to the best of my ability and carve out a niche for myself?Why should I not be content with what I have?Why I am worrying about the future without taking care of the present?Why I can’t be little more kind, generous, understanding and appreciative of others?Why I can’t spread happiness where ever I go or in what ever I say or in what ever I do?Why should I fill my mind with negative thoughts all the time? What prevents me from being positive in my outlook and keep feeding positive thoughts continuously?Why should I criticize, condemn, cut down others? Who appointed me as a judge of others? Don’t I know when I point out one finger at another person, three fingers are pointing at me? Why can’t I let others live their own life in the way they want?Well, my friends, I think I have done enough introspection for one post. I hope I won’t have to do this for a long, long time to come.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

I went to the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium to sit in the shade of a tree and read Geofrey Chaucer’s book Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is considered to be the father of modern English poetry and the first short story writer in English verse.

I sat under the shade of a huge tree and started reading. After a little while I saw the sky getting darker with heavy rain bearing clouds. Soon the sunlight disappeared and the atmosphere looked eery.

Quickly I got up and went to the sheltered portion of the stadium. There was a tea shop. You know I love to drink tea. I bought a glass of tea and a packet of biscuits. I sat in a comfortable plastic chair and waited expectantly to see what will happen.At first there was a strong breeze. The trees started swaying wildly as though they were possessed by evil spirits. The crows which were sitting comfortably on the trees got disturbed and started flying here and there with loud distressed noise. Then flashes of lightening lit up the sky. Soon there was ear shattering thunder rolling across the sky,At fist few rain drops fell hesitantly on the ground and in no time there was a heavy down pour. It was raining cats and dogs.You know ladies in Kerala are very clever. They carry a folding umbrella at all times in their hand bag to protect themselves from sun and rain and perhaps also from unruly men. So the ladies had no problem at all with the heavy down pour. They were walking happily as though nothing was happening.But the men folk were caught unawares and they were getting drenched.Well, I sat there happily enjoying the cooled down temperature sipping my hot glass of tea and munching my biscuits. I was wondering whether it was just summer rains or climate change because the normal monsoon in Kerala starts only by the end of May.

Friday, April 16, 2010

All of you know I'm not a magician. I cannot change anything into anything even in my dreams. Then how did dolphin become a ship. This is what happened.

I was in Vypeen Island to take some photos of dolphins. I saw some of them. They came over the surface of the water for a second and vanished instantly. They didn’t jump in the air like trained dolphins. They also appeared to be huge and dark. The problem with taking photos of these dolphins is that I did not know where they will surface and when they surfaced it will be only for a second. I clicked and clicked and clicked. I only got plain water in the photos. I spent quite a long time waiting and clicking. No photo of dolphin. Finally, I became desperate and frustrated. I am sure people would have thought that I was insane for just taking photos of the plain backwaters.

As I stood there wondering what to do, disappointed , sweating in the sweltering heat and fed up, I heard the sound of a ship, a peculiar bellowing sound which only ships can make. I looked in the direction of the sound. I saw a white cruise ship slowly inching away from the berth. It was interesting. It took a long time for the ship to move away from the berth with the help of a pilot boat.(Please click on the photos for a larger view._

Then it started going on the reverse
After some time it steadied itself with its nose towards the sea. It stood motionless for a while.I thought it was hesitating and pondering whether it should undertake the long arduous journey or not.But then it had a job to do:)
I watched with admiration. It started moving slowly at first and steadily increased the speed. It was gliding on the water like a huge, bewitching swan, majestic and grand. I was amazed to see the monstrous metallic gargantuan moving effortlessly with ease and grace with great momentum
Soon it reached opposite me and started moving towards the Arabian sea with incredible speed.
Don't think that the ship is caught in the Chinese fishing net:)
I watched with my eyes riveted on the fast propelling gracious beauty, thoroughly fascinated until it became a speck in the horizon.

Don’t ask me about the dolphins. I don’t give up that easily. I will surely get some photos one day. Or at least I hope so:)

Friday, April 9, 2010

Melanie Rawlings had posted a comment in my post on happiness in my previous blog LIFE IN MOTION. That was something different from what we normally think. It was a quote from OSHO.Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce the same because it is in my earlier blog and I cannot access it.

Melanie is an amazing painter with excellent qualities of the head and heart.She participated in a charity competition to help victims of Haiti.Three of her paintings have been sold and the proceeds will go to help the suffering people of Haiti.

Please visit her and I am sure you will become life long friends.

What will make you happy? (Please click on the photos for a larger view.)

Owning this luxury liner or going for a cruise to distant lands.Living in a palatial house with plenty of servants,fleet of cars,all luxuries and comforts.Praying in a Church,Temple,Mosque,Synagogue or any other place of worship.Giving alms to a beggar.Swimming in the cool waters of the sea on a warm summer evening.Buying a gift for your girl friend.Watching your children play and enjoy themselves.Watching the bird waiting patiently for a catch as the sun is setting over the horizonLiving with your better half till a ripe old age and enjoying quiet moments together

About Me

Hi, my name is Joseph Thomas Pulikotil. I hope you will find my blog interesting, informative and thought provoking.Please feel free to post your comments, opinions, appreciation,improvements, suggestions or whatever you feel. I will surely visit your blog and we will be good friends.